Dry pipe mechanism for automatic sprinkler systems



Apr. 17, 1923. 1,452,191

C. T. CLIFFORD DRY PIPE MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER SYSTEMS Filed March 31, '1919 2 sheets-sheep;

Fi 0Z0 g v 42 W "1 'WITN-ESS I r Q INVENTOR Ma, X M Bi CurZ'JIs'Z' Clifford A TTORNE YS CLIFFORD Apr. 17, 1923.

DRY PIPE MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER SYSTEMS Filed March 31, 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESS IN V EN TOR Carl??? If Cl fford BY %aj/ ATTORNEYS CURTIS T. CLIFFORD, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

i DBInP IPE MECHANISM AUTOMATIC SPEXNKLEE SYSTEMS.

App1ication fi1ed ,Ma1'ch 31, 1912. Serial n 235,561.

To all whom it may concern) Beiit known that I, Coirri's T. Cmrronm-a citizen otthellnited States, and a resident of the city and county oi San Francisco gtate of Californ a, have made a new andl useful invention to wit, an Improvement in Dry Pipe Mechanism for Automatic Sprinkler Systems; and I hereby declare the lcllowing to be a written descriptionoi' the same in such full, clear, concise, and eX- act terms' as to enable any person skilled in the ,art to which it appert-ains or to which it is most nearly connected to make construct,

and use thesame. I

lThe princip al object of my device is to so arrange thestructure to allow the instant .action at a. predetermined degree of pressure ofthe same, assoon as the air pressure is reduced by the melting of a sprinkler head at soineipoint in the system.

Another object is to provide a device which is simple in operation and easily ac sa bls f r. he

purposes of repair or adjus ment. 1 7

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a cross section of the-valve structure as a whole showing the valves in their normal positions in full lines, and in operating position v in dotted lines.

Eig 21'is a cross section ofFig. 1 taken on the line X-X. v V

Fig. is a detailenlarged view of the tumbler mechanism and it slassociated parts about the valve 13 ofFigtl with some of the otherwise obscuring fparts shown dotted.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the same numerals refer to corresponding parts in the several views. The numeral 5 designates the main casting of the entire structure and the numeral 6 the auxiliary casting which houses the valve connecting mechanism.

The numeral 7 refers to a flanged water supply inlet and 8 to a flanged outlet to the sprinkler system.

Substantially midway of the casting I provide a horizontal partition 9 having an opening therein. Threaded into said opening is a valve seat 10 and upon this valve seat rests the valve 11 which is hinged to the casting 5 by means of a pintle 12.

Above said inlet 7 I place a valve 13 which is normally held upon its seat 1% by a system of levers which will be hereinafter described in detail.

In an offset portion 15 of the casting 5, I

held in place by bolts 22.

provide an opening 16 and a valve seat 17 secured within said opening. Seated upon said valve seat is a pilot valve 18 hinged at 19 to the casting 5. Above this valve 18 I provide a hand hole and suitable cover 21 Upon the cover 21 and casting 5 I place lead buttons or abutments 23 against which the valves 11, 13 and 18 will strike upon opening.

Below the valve 18 and carried by a pin 24-, I mount a trigger or latch 25,'said pin being carried by the valve seat ring 17 and passing through a slotted opening 26 in said trigger.

WVithin said auxiliar castin 6 and below nose 28 adapted to engage thelower end of the trigger 25, and below said weight I place a rotatable cam shaped lever, the upper horn or second latch 29 ofwhich is adapted to rest against theweight 27 at the point 30.

The lowerhorn of the lever forms a hook for engagement with a supporting or adjust? ing screw 81, which is capable of adjustment through the nut and lock nut 32 and 33. The movement of this adjusting screw is controlled by pins 4 1 moving in grooves upon the sides of the auxiliary casting 6. The lower end of this screw is pivotally connected at 34 to a link or lever of the first order 35having a valve disc or diaphragm 36 for closing the opening from chamber B when pressure is admitted thereto from C, and this is accomplished by the said disc seating at 37 in the casting 5 and as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The other end of the lever 35 is pivoted at 59 to the link 15 which is adapted to swing about the pivot 57.

At 39 is a horn or tit on said lever 85, which engages the tumbler 38when the parts are in the full line position of Figs. 1 and 3, and holds said tumbler in locked engage ment with the member 40 with which is associated the valve disc 13 and which is kept tightly depressed on its seat 14 by the sloping face 53 of said tumbler. The tumbler is pivoted at 55 to the member 56 loosely mounted on the pivot 57 so that the several parts as follows may be freely forced to the right by the pressureon 13 and l0. Thus when the tit 39 is released the lever 56. link 15, tumbler 38 will be forced violently to the right, see also Fig. 1.

Drains are provided at -12 and $3 for the chambers 6 and A respectively. The weight I about the pivot 59 at which time the tit 39 will move upward into the dotted position 60. This will free the pressure contact heretofore existing between the tit 39 and tumbler 38 whereby the member has been held down compressing the valve 13 upon itsseat 14, and the entire strain of this holding pressure has been supported by the link and pins 59 and 57, the link having been under heavy tension due to the link mechanism 31 havingbeen held in its up position. 7

When the tumbler 38 has been freed as above described, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3, it will rotate about the pin to the dotted position 58, thus releasing the member40 and valve 13 which may now swing freely upward about the pivot 41 clearing the passage for high pressure Water. In order to facilitate the clearing of the lever 35 link 45 the bell shape valve 36 receives some of the pressure water which is first al lowed to leak into the chamber 13 when the tit 39 is first moved into the dotted position and this pressure water before the valve 1 has opened any considerable amount will force against the valve 36, causing its closure on the seat37 and thus cause the movement itoward the right of the lever 35 and its link 45. It is to be understood that the tumbler 38 may swing freely at all times about the pivot 55 which I have shown supported by the connecting link 56 from the main supporting shaft or pin 57, except such times as it is employed as an intermediate compression member between 40 and the tit 39.

1} claim: 1. In a main valve for supplying a sprinkler system, a compartment normally containing compressed air and a compartment open to the atmosphere and a connection for high pressure watersupply thereto; a

main valve member closing said water conby the lever, said tumbler engaging the main valve memberjto retain itin normal closed position; said mechanism co-operating with said pilot valve, so that upon the release of the compressed air from the compressed air compartment the pilot va'lveopens releasing Y the mechanism which in turn releases the main valve member. I

2. In a main valve forsupplying a sprinkler systemas set forth in claim 1, and a member carrying said tumblerat one end and loosely pivoted on the other whereby the tumbler is allowed a treedomot movement on the release of the mechanism by the pilot valve. p

3. A main valve for supplying a sprinkler system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said weight is pivotally mounted to swing about an axis without lost motion.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at San Francisco, California, this 19th day of March 1919. g V

' CURTIS T. CLIFFORD. In presence of- BRADLEY L. BENSON, P. S. PIDIVELL. 

